Let there be night games for the Ticats in Guelph

GUELPH– Night games will be part of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats home schedule at the University of Guelph’s Alumni Stadium, the Canadian Football League and the university confirmed Wednesday.

“We can play night games at Guelph this season,” said CFL director of communications and broadcast Jamie Dykstra in an email message. “And the commissioner just mentioned in a scrum that the schedule will be released next week.”

University officials were confident there were no deficiencies in Alumni Stadium’s capability to host night games, and it appears there are at least two night games in the schedule.

“I understand there are two night games planned,” said Charles Cunningham, U of G’s assistant vice-president, communications and public affairs, in an email. That understanding was echoed by Brenda Whiteside, the university’s associate vice-president of student affairs.

A report Monday in the Edmonton Journal cast some doubts over whether Alumni Stadium’s lighting was up to the nighttime broadcast standards of high definition television. The Journal story suggested all Ticats home games in Guelph might have to be played during the day. That is not the case.

There have been delays to the release of the 2013 schedule due to a number of factors, including challenges related to Toronto’s busy Rogers Centre, and the fact the Ticats are now sharing a stadium with the Guelph Gryphons. It appears those complications are near to being resolved.

On Wednesday, speaking to the CFL Congress in Regina, CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon acknowledged that football fans are anxiously awaiting the release of the schedule, and said it should be released next week, according to a Regina Leader-Post report.

The Ticats are making Guelph and Alumni Stadium home this season, as a new stadium is constructed in Hamilton to replace old Ivor Wynne Stadium. The team will stage an official season kickoff event on Wednesday, March 6 at Cutten Fields.

Ticats general manager and head coach Kent Austin, club owner Bob Young, and Mark Cohon will be on hand. It is expected that more details about the slate of Ticats games will be revealed at the event.

The club is also holding tryouts for its cheerleading team this Sunday at the U of G.